NEW YORK, Jan. 3 Conan O'Brien has returned to the air after his late-night talk show was shut down for two months by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
"This has been a tough time not only for our show, but for a lot of people in the entertainment industry. Good people right now are out of work. And possibly worse, with all the late-night shows off the air, Americans have been forced to read books and occasionally even speak to one another, which has been horrifying," O'Brien quipped during opening remarks of the "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" show taped Wednesday and broadcast early Thursday.
"We are back now, but sadly, we do not have our writers with us. I want to make this clear, I support their cause -- these are very talented, very creative people who work extremely hard and I believe what they are asking for is fair," O'Brien said. "We desperately need them on the show. Think about it: Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, The Masturbating Bear, The Walker Texas Ranger Lever -- it's all writing. Well, not the Masturbating Bear; that's just instinct."
O'Brien went on to discuss his new beard.
Copyright 2008 by UPI
